A house filled with Indonesia

Wall filled with ikats, batiks and other fabrics from Indonesia

A short heatwave made blogging a little bit of a challenge, more for my computer then for me, but still, it has been too quiet on De reis naar Batik.
Two weeks back me and Koen went to the National Museum of Ethnology (Rijksmuseum Volkenkunde) in Leiden. Eversince I found an article about the "spectacular donation"* by deceased Fritz Liefkes I have checked their website monthly. The former conservator of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam left them a collection of 750 artifacts from Indonesia mostly from between 1850 till 1950. His only demand was that they made a special exhibition of his collection. And they did!

In the weekend we went, the museum had special activities like making a Wayang doll workshop and Balinese dance. The Balinese dance demonstration was done by the brilliant group Sinar Bulan**. With a lot of humor they explain the differences between Javanese and Balinese dance, show different costumes and make it very accessible. On the end of the day they showed different mask dances from Bali. During the last dance the dancer transformed into an old man. The mask with long grey hair looked funny at first. With her movements she told a story of the difficulty of growing old, really strong and inspiring to see.

The Liefkes collection, a collection build with love, consists of many different objects from very different places. Gold was clearly his favorite material. Next to beautiful jewelry, he owned 450 fabrics of which many were decorated with the prada technique (gold lines on top of Batik patterns) or are embroidered with gold thread.
The entrance of the exhibition started with a great wall full of cloths. A brilliant way of showing them. A simple steel construction and magnets, but what an effect. I was so jealous, but I also realized how great it was that he collected all these beautiful things to later share them with us.

I made a lot of pictures, and still I wish I could have visited the exhibition again. You see so much at once (and it was pretty busy, and that is pretty good) that you miss details or forget to make a picture of a Carolina von Franquemont batik from around 1850, shame on me...
Anyway, enjoy the photos and make sure to visit the museum. They have a great collection, it is a big museum so make it a day to check it out. Me and Koen could only see the Liefkes exhibition, Fetish Modernity, Indonesia and we ran through Japan, China, Korea and Oceania, so we missed the whole of America, the rest of their Asia collection and Africa!

Other side of the wall, also filled with beautiful fabrics. The upper cloth is a ceremonial batik, kampuhan. From the edges filled with trees and chicken, lightning strikes the blue middle part. The middle doesn't represent the night sky, but the balong, the fishpond every acreage On West Java has***

Undermost cloth, a sarong for men. The dark blue batik like a night sky is filled with eight-pointed suns in which the Muslim proverb "Piring aji" is written, next to full moons with a bird in them. It stands for the arrival of Islam***

Detail of chicken on a krudung or mirong, head or shoulder cloth, with prada. Style influenced by Pekalongan. From Cirebon, 1875-1900***

Batik with prada on Chinese silk, the different animals are symbols for all life in the universe, "alas-alasan". Cirebon, 1875-1900***

Detail from "alas-alasan" batik

Batik filled with symbols for fertility. The butterflies stand for long life. The medallions with a flying pair of birds stands for heaven, see next photo***

This kain panjang dlorong or obar abir, hipcloth was probably a weddinggift for a Peranakan bride. The cloth is filled with Chinese mythical creatures like the qilin, a gentle animal with hoofs and scales like a dragon. Cirebon, 1860-1875***

Detail from dodot ageng. Ceremonial cloth made with tritik, tie-dye and prada. Surakarta, mid 20th century***

Sigar with aristocratic male motif made by Raja Aluda Tajularifin, wife of Sultan sepuh XI, during her pregnancy to wish for a boy. The red batik behind it is probably a langit-langit, used to hang above the weddingbed. The paper label on it was probably written by none other than batikexpert Gerrit Rouffaer (1860-1928)***

Dancer from Sinar Bulan

* article 'Spectaculaire schenking voor museum' in De Trouw
** More about Sinar Bulan on their website www.sinarbulan.com
*** explanatory text from bookled 'Een huis vol Indonesië' from Rijksmuseum Volkenkunde

More about the exhibition 'A house filled with Indonesia' on www.volkenkunde.nl

More about the National Museum of Ethnology in my previous post 'Ethnology Museum in Leiden'

Batik Statement XV

My cousin Cliff surprised me a few weeks back with his Batik Statement and stack of CD of Indonesian music. It was really nice seeing him, our family isn't really close, so we hadn't seen each other in a long time.
He lent me great modern Indonesian music and brought with him his Batiks with a picture of him wearing the traditional temple clothing of Bali.
I made a collage of the picture with the Batiks and added some flowerpetals for the Bali-touch.

Hope you'll like it Cliff! And hope to see you soon!

Batik from Yogyakarta with prada (gold outlines) on Batik (made with cap & canting) from Bali

Got inspired? Get your Batik on! Make a picture of yourself wearing your favorite Batik and send it to me by email or post it on my Facebook wall. For inspiration see the previous 'Batik Statements' (tip: sunny, nice locations, lots of colors and good memories).

Historical fiction

"The Call Of The East", sculpture at Korte Vijverberg 5 in Den Haag

In the Summertime no exotic vacations for me, but I love being at home during this time of year. At my side job I can relax and read, while watching people haste all the way to holiday. I can also catch up on literature and great articles, because all my colleagues are unreachable, blogger had an error with images and our other mac died. Our newpaper spends many pages on art and it's future. "The challenge of artists today is the opposite (of what Pierro Manzoni did): not showing that art is as common as shit, but proving art is as special as gold." and according to Alain de Botton: "Art is a concentrated dose of things that are good in this world. It reminds us what love is, what creativity is, of goodness and freedom. Art can make our lives better, partly because we recognize emotions, and partly because we get in touch with the ones we lost. We have to be so strong, that we forget how to be kind and soft. Art invites us to be kind again."*
It's a pity that only the poor stay-at-homers can enjoy these articles...

Summertime is also the perfect time to travel in books. Even if you are on a bounty island. A few weeks back I went to a lecture about Louise Couperus in Den Haag. I combined it with visiting the exhibition 'The Dutch East Indies in The Hague - A centuries-old bond' in the Haags Historisch Museum and a search for Ring-necked Parakeet and 'traces of emerald'.

"From the seventeenth century, the Netherlands was linked to the Indonesian Archipelago until all that came to an end in 1949. In the period between 1945 and 1966, an estimated 350,000 people relocated from the former colony to the Netherlands, a significant portion of them settling in The Hague. The Hague was an obvious choice: it was home to the Ministry of Colonies and to many institutions and businesses that had traditionally done business in the East. It had everything anyone could need relating to the colony, ranging from shops selling essentials for use in the tropics to Indonesian delicatessens offering authentic ingredients. The Hague offered people on leave from the colony temporary accommodation whilst others prepared for their journey to the Dutch East Indies."**

"De Stille Kracht" with batiked cover

Although we have this historical bond, these memories of the Dutch East Indies are best found in books. Louis Couperus made the Dutch acquainted to lifestyle of people in the Dutch East Indies. This to great displeasure overseas. "De Stille Kracht" ("The Hidden Force") published in 1900 got a lot of criticism. 'Indiëgangers' felt betrayed by their own kind. Couperus came from an upper class family with important positions in the colonial politics. His novel is about decadence and decay in an typical colonial upper class family of that time. It's not anti-colonial, that was a too modern idea for that time, but it was critical about the government in the Dutch East Indies nevertheless.

Doodles by Louis Couperus in his manuscript for "De Stille Kracht"

The other books in the exhibition also show the different lifestyle of the 'indiëgangers'. The romantic Tempoe Doeloe in which belanda's learned about exotic animals and each family had a baboe is evidently the most important memory we have of the Dutch East Indies.

On my way to the museum I got lost and found Hotel Des Indes. I tried to picture the suntanned well dresses people on furlough walking from the entrance, but it felt a bit silly and somehow hard to imagine. After the lecture I continued my search for city parrots and shared heritage. Looking at the sculptures on the building of the former Rotterdamsche Lloyd I felt vicariously ashamed, I couldn't help wondering what good it all did. Not only overseas, but also here. Common men have passed these buildings for a century now and what heritage did it leave them? I think it is great and very important that with the project Sporen van Smaragd this heritage is getting more commonly known.***But it's also good to realize that the romantic stories and memories are from only one point of view. Good for fantasy, not so good for history.

Lange Voorhout 54-56 in Den Haag

Plaats 29-31 in Den Haag

Korte Vijverberg 5 in Den Haag

Korte Vijverberg 5 in Den Haag

Korte Vijverberg 5 in Den Haag

Korte Vijverberg 5 in Den Haag

* quotes translated from articles in De Volkskrant
** Text from the Haags Historisch Museum website
*** More information about the interesting project by Sporen van Smaragd on www.sporenvansmaragd.nl and in my blogpost 'Traces of Emerald'

The child is not dead

Nelson Mandela reading Ingrid Jonker's poem "The child is not dead" during his inaugural address to South Africa’s first democratic Parliament, on the 24 of may in 1994, is the first thing I think of when I think about Mandela.
I was only 6 when Mandela was finally released, so I know him more in legend then in memory. His very important legacy shouldn't become a part of history, we have to honor it everyday.
A friend of mine, thanks Thijs, send me a message in Facebook: "I just read that Nelson Mandela is a big fan of Batik blouses". And indeed he is. I said to him, maybe I should write a blogpost about that, and here it is. Googling "Mandela" I found so many lovely pictures of him in beautiful Batik blouses, always smiling.
How great is it that he almost always wears (Javanese) batik!

Another great thing I came across are the memory cloths with Nelson Mandela's portrait on them. Memory cloths ('Herinneringsdoek') are made to honor special events, like the cloth made by Vlisco for Willem-Alexander's coronation*. They can be worn as support or as protest. And are instant collector items.

An ANC supporter hangs a cloth in support of Mandela outside the Mediclinic Heart Hospital

Memory cloth with images of Nelson Mandela, with the colors and symbols of the ANC (African National Congress), former president of South Africa (1994-1999).
The text on the cloth: "Better life for all, working together for jobs, peace and freedom".
These cloths were really important, because before 1990 it was illegal to own a portrait of Mandela or things with the ANC-colors on it.**

This Vlisco Java pattern was launched because of Mandela’s immense popularity following his release from prison in 1990 and his leading role afterwards in the negotiations for multi-racial democracy. The framework of the design, however, was designed in 1989 to suit different portraits, from Charles de Gaulle to Pope John Paul II.***

The child is not dead
The child lifts his fists against his mother
Who shouts Afrika ! shouts the breath
Of freedom and the veld
In the locations of the cordoned heart

The child lifts his fists against his father
in the march of the generations
who shouts Afrika ! shout the breath
of righteousness and blood
in the streets of his embattled pride

The child is not dead
not at Langa nor at Nyanga
not at Orlando nor at Sharpeville
nor at the police station at Philippi
where he lies with a bullet through his brain

The child is the dark shadow of the soldiers
on guard with rifles Saracens and batons
the child is present at all assemblies and law-givings
the child peers through the windows of houses and into the hearts
of mothers
this child who just wanted to play in the sun at Nyanga is everywhere
the child grown to a man treks through all Africa
the child grown into a giant journeys through the whole world

Without a pass

- Ingrid Jonker

* See blogpost 'The day that you knew was coming is finally here'
** Cloth from Tropenmuseum collection
***Text from Vlisco Stories

Shared Heritage

Exhibition 'Sporen van Smaragd' on the 55th Tong Tong Fair

On Friday the 31th of May I went to the symposium 'Shared Heritage' by Sporen van Smaragd ("Traces of Emerald") on the Tong Tong Fair in Den Haag. An interesting day with great lectures, a good conclusion of a very successful project. Many great architectural finds were made during the three years of research. Not only the charismatic bricks and stained glass has been mapped out, also the inhabitants and the clients. It's an important part of our cultural heritage in which emigrants from the Dutch East Indies left their traces of emerald not only in buildings, but also in literature, art, music and the cuisine of the Netherlands.

Frans Leidelmeijer with Louis Couperus's 'De Stille Kracht' with a batiked cover

Example of Batik being made in the Netherlands

'Raden Adjeng' by Paul Citroen

Frans Leidelmeijer gave an interesting lecture about Dutch East Indies influence on the Dutch art scene. Great examples are found in the Dutch version of the Arts and Crafst-movement, De Nieuwe Kunst. Batik was a popular craft and was used in many different ways by artists in the Netherlands. Leijermeijer's lecture contained many interesting artworks, but his story was a bit chaotic and he mentioned a lot of names and dates, but only once. Fortunatly the great publication by Sporen van Smaragd also gives attention to this subject in both text and image.
Leidemeijer's lecture ended with a very nice surprise, the wonderful painting 'Raden Adjeng' by Paul Citroen. The ultimate Batik Statement!
I first saw this painting in a museum in Gorinchem. I didn't like the exhibition much and so I didn't mind not being allowed to take pictures. But then in the last room, there it was. This big colourful painting with a beautiful Javanese lady surrounded by Batiks and Ikats. I thought of making a picture anyway, but most paintings were from private collections. Back in Breda I googled for an image of the painting without any luck. Then there it was, more then a year later, projected at the Tong Tong Fair.

Correction: The painting of Raden Ajoe is not by Paul Citroen but by a pupil of him at the Haagse Kunstacademie. Corry Muhlenfeld. See the comment on this post by Frans Leidelmeijer himself.

Dr. Marty Bax with Batik examples

In the lecture by Dr. Marty Bax the hidden Indonesian influence in architecture in Den Haag was unravelled. The Amsterdam School is a style of architecture that arose from 1910 through about 1930 in The Netherlands. With the economic prosperity in the Netherlands, due to the colonies, art developed rapidly. Architects could design entire buildings including the interiors. It were the heydays for architects like H.P. Berlage and K.P.C. de Bazel. Marty Bax made some nice comparisons between buildings made in the style of the Amsterdamse school and Buddhist temples. De Lijn, the line, formed the basis for their architecture. The flow through the building had to be like a meandering line, like life energy, Chi. Gemeentemuseum De Haag by H.P. Berlage makes this very visible, wondering through the halls you get the feeling of being led flow instead of directions.
The modern Amsterdamse school use of squares, circles and triangles as patterns, wasn't so modern after all. The use of patterns could be easily traced back to Batik motifs. Bax used the great slide (see picture above) to demonstrate this.

The Dutch East Indies left a clear line in our history and if you just know where to look, you'll find it on many places. The influence in not only found here of course, but also oversees. Ben de Vries from the Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed gave an very interesting presentation about station architecture in Indonesia from the Dutch East Indies. And the preserving of colonial buildings abroad was extensively discussed. It is a very interesting subject and a lot is happing at the moment. A VOC building in Publicat is going to be saved from being demolished, Louis Couperus home were he wrote 'De Stille Kracht' is discovered and on Sunday mornings in Indonesia the colonial time is being acted out with role playing. I will save this subject for another post, try to visit the exhibition “Vroeger is een ver land” ("The Past in a Foreign Country") at the Tropenmuseum first!

Drs. Ben de Vries gave an inspiring presentation

Monarch kite at the entrance of the Tong Tong Fair

More information about the interesting project by Sporen van Smaragd on www.sporenvansmaragd.nl and in my blogpost 'Traces of Emerald'. Also a very beautiful publication (in Dutch) is made!

The real deal

Photo made on Pasar Malam in Breda

A while back I began to notice that almost no one is wearing real Batiks. A year ago when I visited the Tong Tong Fair, I was disappointed that there was little Batik being sold, and the batik that was being sold wasn't handmade, it was mostly printed.
This year I was paying more attention to the actual Batiks being worn. Because of my Batik Statement project I'm more focused on the subject. What shocks me, is that actually no one is wearing real Batiks and if you ask them about what they are wearing they assume its real. Most of the time they even bought it in Indonesia or on a Pasar Malam where it is being sold under the name 'Batik'.
This is not a scam, you might think that, but in Indonesia printed cloth, or painted by hand, made with canting or cap can all be called Batik. It's not the technique what gives it its name, but the patterned style.
So to really support batik, and to make sure to be wearing the real deal some tips and tricks.

1. One basic trick is to check both sides of the batikcloth (blouse, skirt etc.). Batik is an Indonesian Heritage, because it's made on a specific way only in indonesia! The applying of the wax is always done on both sides of the cloth. This makes the lines more clear and the coloring very pure. Note: On Indian chintz wax is only applied on one side. If the Batik is printed, one side is more faded, the pattern is not so clear.

2. Batik Tulis is handmade, therefore irregularities can be found in the pattern. Not every dot can be the same, and that gives it it's great quality. The more difficult it is to find irregularities the better the Batikmaker is. Of course this depends on the motif of the Batik, but in almost all Batiks a pattern is repeated. Compare and if it is exactly the same, the Batik is printed. Note: Batik made with cap makes the pattern also look similar, but because it is a handmade process you can see the difference between print and made with cap (the cap is pressed to the cloth by hand, also the making of a cap is an art form by itself)

3. Buy the Batik at the workshop. Most workshops have their own store/shop. When you're in a Batikshop, ask if you can visit the workshop. Most times it's behind the store. You can even see the making of the product you're going to take home with you.

4. Buy the batikcloth in Indonesia and let it made into a blouse, skirt or dress also in indonesia. This way, with the tips above, you can be sure your batikclothing for the next Pasar is the real deal. And you can choose how the pattern is shown on your clothing. Note: Some Batik cloths are specially made for blouses so that when the fabric is cut, the pattern is still in tact. Where these Batiks are made, you can also buy the eventual blouse.

Photo made on Pasar Malam in Breda

That's all the tricks and tips for now. I'm not an expert either, and sometimes printed batiks can be really well done. I'm been told that nowadays wax printed Batiks are being made on Java. This development makes it even more difficult to see if it's Batik Tulis or fake.
To support the fine art of Batik Tulis and to keep it from extinction we need to make an effort. It is know that the technical quality of Batik Tulis, made with canting, is far less than what it was before the arrival of the cap. The knowlegde about the technique gets lost because faster methods are being developed (cap and worse, printing) and isn't passed on to the next generation.


VERSION #2 - BTS 'Batik Our Love Story' - The Documentary from Ucu Agustin on Vimeo.

The beautiful documentary 'Batik, Our Love Story' shows this troubling trend in very fine colors. A great story, but with a possible very bad ending.
I'm looking for places to screen the documentary, but there is more needed than sitting down and watching this heritage like watching hunting panters on the verge of extinction in nature shows.
Why isn't real batik for sale on the many Pasars we have. Where does it go wrong?
In the end we all want the real deal, right?
I'm working on it and in the meantime use my tips and tricks and if you have any useful tips or tricks I can share with my readers, please let me know (comment below!). Also if you are interested in screening 'Batik, Our Love Story' in the Netherlands, please send me an email (see 'About Me').